Jindal touts Harrisonburg’s future bridge

Gov. Bobby Jindal visited Harrisonburg on Monday as part of his 64-parish tour, where he celebrated the coming replacement of the Ouachita River Bridge in the town.

Jindal said almost $36 million has been appropriated to build a new bridge on Louisiana 8.

The current bridge was build in 1932.

“Investing in our infrastructure is critical because it helps to make our state more attractive for businesses that want to invest and create jobs for our people, but most importantly, it means we have safer roads for our families,” Jindal said.

“That’s why this investment is so important,” he said. “This bridge is over 80 years old and this investment will help improve the flow of commerce and help ensure our people have a safe route to travel.”

More than 1,600 vehicles cross the bridge each day.

Work on the new bridge is set to begin in February with completion scheduled for summer 2016.

Jindal said his administration has supported infrastructure investments exceeding $5 billion since 2008.